Water heater permit fees by city: Texas, Illinois and Ohio

Permit fees for one water heater replacement

Every fee below comes from an official city fee schedule or permit page, read on October 15, 2026. "Who may pull it" is what the city's own page says. A blank date means the source prints none.

Texas

City	Fee and what it covers	Who may pull it	Source	Schedule date
Houston	$34.24 for the first three heaters, $11.41 each after, plus a $33.56 admin fee. The page lists a $97.56 minimum permit fee, and another line on the same page says $91.05[1]. The homeowner application lists a total minimum of $131.12 ($97.56 plus $33.56)[2]	The water heater page says a master plumber registered with the City of Houston[1]. The homestead owner application includes a water heater line[2]	[1][2]	Page undated; application revised January 2026
San Antonio	$57.50 plumbing base fee plus $9.20 for "Water Heater, Vent (gas/electric)," then a 4% technology surcharge and a 4% development services surcharge[3]	A Texas license holder, or a homeowner on their own existing homestead doing the work personally[3][4]	[3][4]	FY 2027, revised September 2026
Austin	Residential Change-Out Program: $74.05 for the first system, $20.69 for each additional. The schedule notes these rows include water heaters, but it does not say which line covers a single water heater, so confirm with the city[6]	A homeowner with a homestead exemption, working in their own principal residence[7]	[5][6][7]	Effective October 1, 2026
Fort Worth	No water heater line. Plumbing table: $10.34 for the first fixture or appliance, plus a $33.08 permit application fee and a $16.87 technology fee. A $119 minimum for one-trade residential remodels is also listed; confirm whether it applies[8]	A city-registered contractor, or a homeowner who qualifies for a homestead permit on the home they own and live in[9]	[8][9]	Ordinance 26-28781, effective October 1, 2026

Illinois

City	Fee and what it covers	Who may pull it	Source	Schedule date
Chicago	No building permit for repairing or replacing a hot water heater in-kind in a residential building up to 4 stories. The work must still meet the Chicago Construction Codes[14]	Licensed plumber, or an owner-occupant under state law[18]	[14][18]
Aurora	No permit for water heater replacement, except a change from tank to tankless[15]	Homeowners doing work must apply for permits; contractors must meet city licensing first[15]	[15][16]	2026 fee schedule
Springfield	Code lists a $20.00 minimum permit fee and $5.00 per plumbing fixture. No water heater line, so confirm the charge with the city[17]	A registered plumbing contractor, or the owner of a single-family home who lives there and stays at least one year after the work[17]	[17]	Code current August 4, 2026

Ohio

City	Fee and what it covers	Who may pull it	Source	Schedule date
Columbus	$140 minor work permit for 1, 2 or 3 family homes, including one inspection. Water heater replacement is on the approved minor work list[20][21]	The occupying homeowner of a single-family home, by notarized affidavit, or a licensed contractor[22]	[20][21][22]	2026 schedule
Cleveland	$50.00 minimum permit fee ($8.00 per hot water heating device) plus a 1% State of Ohio surcharge[23]	A contractor licensed and insured with the state, bonded and registered with the city. Do-it-yourselfers do not have to register[24]	[23][24]	Effective January 2, 2014
Cincinnati	$68.00 to replace one fixture (the table does not name water heaters), plus surcharges: 1% state, 3% technology, 1% financial recovery, 5% planning, 1% training[25]	An owner of a single-family home doing the work personally and living there at least one year after; contractors must register with the city[26]	[25][26]	Effective July 1, 2026
Toledo	Existing residential: $65 plus $6 per fixture (water heater is a listed fixture), $75.00 minimum, plus a 1% residential state surcharge[28]	The owner of a one-family, owner-occupied home doing the work[29]	[28][29]	Application undated
Dayton	$74.81 minimum for jobs up to $2,000, plus a 1% residential state surcharge[30]	The city FAQ says the work "may need to be done by a City of Dayton licensed contractor"[31]. Homeowner rules not confirmed	[30][31]	November 2025

Our arithmetic from those lines: Cleveland about $50.50, Toledo about $75.75 and Dayton about $75.56 for one residential water heater^[23][28][30].

Who issues it is not always the city you expect. Cincinnati's own building department issues permits inside city limits; Hamilton County Public Health covers the rest of the county^[27]. Its water heater rule applies to "all new and replacement water heater installations"^[27].

Cities we could not verify yet

• Dallas. The July 2025 fee schedule has no plumbing or water heater line, so we could not tell which fee applies^[10]. Dallas does let a homeowner act as their own contractor on their homestead, with plumbing on the eligible list^[11].
• Naperville. The city's site blocked our automated access, so we could not read its fee schedule.

Why water heater permits exist

A permit buys an inspection. Hamilton County Public Health says its inspector checks that the heater meets the Ohio plumbing code, checks water pressure and discharge, and checks the safety devices^[27]. It warns that a bad install can leak, catch fire or release carbon monoxide^[27]. Houston inspects under its amended 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code and 2021 International Residential Code^[1].

Texas law requires cities over 5,000 people to require a permit for plumbing work. Its short exempt list (leaks, faucets, ballcocks, disposals, toilets) does not include water heaters^[12].

Can a homeowner pull their own permit?

• Texas. "A property owner is not required to be licensed under this chapter to perform plumbing in the property owner's homestead"^[12]. Cities still run the permit. Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth each have a homestead route, but Houston's water heater page names a registered master plumber^{[1][2][4][7][9][11]}.
• Illinois. An owner-occupant or lessee-occupant of a single-family home may do their own plumbing, if it meets the state plumbing code, passes inspection, and the owner hires no one but a licensed plumber to help. The owner must live there at least 6 months^[18].
• Ohio. We found no statewide rule on homeowner plumbing. It is set city by city: Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo each allow owner-occupants to pull their own permit^{[22][24][26][29]}.

What happens if you skip the permit

City	Penalty for work started without a permit
Houston	Investigation fee of $328.84 or double the fee, whichever is greater[2]
San Antonio	Double permit fees[3]
Dallas	$100 per hour per trade investigation fee; $200 per trade for concealing work[10]
Aurora	Fees may be doubled; $200 per trade penalty inspection fee[16]
Springfield	$100 or two times the permit fee, whichever is greater[17]
Columbus	$200 to $4,000 by level[20]
Cleveland	$100 minimum plus 25% within 72 hours of notice; $200 minimum plus 25% after[23]
Cincinnati	Investigation fee equal to the permit fee, on top of it, up to $1,695[25]
Toledo	Stop-work order, triple fees, a $250 penalty, and a possible court summons for repeat offenders[29]
Dayton	Investigation fee of $62.36 minimum, $500 maximum, plus the regular permit fee[30]

Plumbing without a license

• Texas. Unlicensed plumbing is a Class C misdemeanor, and city plumbing inspectors may issue citations^[12]. TSBPE fines anyone who employs or subcontracts an unlicensed or unregistered person $4,000 per violation, at the full amount since January 1, 2026^[13].
• Illinois. IDPH says people who install or repair plumbing in Illinois must be licensed^[19]. A violation of the Act is a Class B misdemeanor with a $500 fine for a first offense, a Class A misdemeanor with a $1,000 fine after that, and each day counts separately^[18]. A civil penalty of up to $5,000 per offense can be added^[18].
• Ohio. Acting as a licensed type of contractor without a license is a minor misdemeanor on a first offense and a fourth-degree misdemeanor after that^[32][33]. The licensing board may fine up to $1,000 per violation per day^[34]. The board says it licenses commercial contractors, including plumbing, and "may not have authority over residential contractors"^[35]. For homes, city registration does most of the work.

When to call a pro

• Gas units, a fuel change or tank to tankless: Aurora requires a permit for that last switch even though it exempts like-for-like swaps^[15].
• Your city requires a licensed plumber to pull the permit, as Houston's water heater page does^[1].
• You want the permit and inspection handled: ask an independent licensed plumber to put the permit fee in the written quote.
• You cannot tell which fee line applies: call the city permit office before you start.